Method of coating cord material



.May 14, 1935. J. v. JAMES METHOD OF COATING CORD MATERIAL Filed. March 23, 1954 Jnz/E'n/DE JEMEE N l/"52 755 Patented May 14, I935 UNITED STATES 2,001,575 METHOD OF COATING CORD MATERIAL James V. Jam s, Akron, B. F. Goodrich Compa corporation of New Yo Ohio, assignor to The ny, New York, N. Y., a. rk

Application March 23, 1934, Serial No. 717,006

3 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of coating cord material with a vulcanizable plastic such as rubber.

In the manufacture of pneumatic tires and other articles built of laminated piles of fibrous material such as woven fabrics or unwoven cords, it has been customary to pass the web of fibrous material between heated rollers where the plastic material is forced between the interstices of the 1) web or is merely applied to its surface. When the plastic is forced between the interstices of the fabric or cords, by passing the web through the nip between heated rolls running at different surface speeds, so that the plastic, supplied by one of the rolls, is smeared into the interstices, and very little thereof remains upon the face of the web, the operation is commonly known as frictioning. Complete filling of the interstices requires two frictioning operations, the plastic be ing first smeared into one face of the fabric and then smeared into the other face in a second operation.

When a layer of plastic is required on the surface of the web, the operation is accomplished by passing the web through the nip of heated rolls running at even surface speeds and a ply of plastic, formed on the face of one of the rolls by cooperation of a third roll therewith, is laid on the web and pressed thereagainst without smearing action. This operation is known in the art as coating.

In the manufacture of pneumatic tire casings it is necessary, not only to fill the interstices between the cords in each ply with a resilient rub- 5 her composition, but also to provide a cushioning layer between the plies. In the manufacture of tires from square-woven fabric this was accomplished by three calendering operations, the fabric being frictioned on one face, then fric- 40 tioned on the opposite face, then coated on one face. In the use of so-called cord-fabric, wherein a layer of spaced parallel cords are temporarily held in position by weak and sparsely spaced filler threads, so that the material before being L5 rubberized may be handled like woven fabric, .a similar process of applying the rubberhas been used, but due to the loose nature. of the weave, and the pressure and differential speed of the rolls, the resulting sheet or web has been imperfect,

the waste of material has been great, and the cost of the operationhas been high.

In the manufacture of tires from weftless cords, a multiplicity of similar cords are passed through a comb and into the nip between calendc:- rolls, where plastic rubber composition is tion to the other rolls.

applied. As there are no filling threads to hold the cords in proper spaced relation, it is impossible to friction the cord until a coating of rubber composition has been applied to one face thereof. 5

In order to avoid the difficulties of first frictioning either cord fabric or weftless cords, it is customary to first apply a coat of rubber to one face of the web by even speed rolls, and then to attempt to fill the interstices between the cords 10 from the other side by a coating applied in the same manner, or to apply coats from opposite sides simultaneously, always using rolls running at even speeds. Such methods have resulted in the entrapment the two coats, the result being that when the resulting material is incorporated in a tire an insufiicient layer of rubber remains between the plies, the coatings being forced into the interstices, or, when insuilicient molding pressure is 0 used, the entrapped air results in separation of the plies in the tire.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a method of completely filling the I interstices and providing a surface coating in a single operation, to produce an improved product, and to provide economy of operation.

Other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a. perspective view of the roll mecha nism of a four-roll calender such as is shown in practicing the invention, the frame of the machine not being shown and parts being broken away to show the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the arrangement of the rolls.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the finished ply of material. I

Referring to the drawing, in practicing the invention, I employ a calender comprising three superimp0sed.sm0oth-faced rolls III, II, and I2 and a fourth roll l3 at one side of the roll I. Roll I I has fixed thereto a driving gear M whereby the roll is rotated. It is also provided with pinions l5 and I6 fixed thereto for transmitting mo- Pinion li'meshes with a pinion l1 carried by roll l2. Pinion l6 meshes with pinion l8 on roll Ill. Roll l0 also has a pinion 19 which meshes with a pinion 20 on roll l3 It will be understood that means, not shown, are provided, as usual, to adjust roll I2 toward and from roll ll, roll I 0 toward and from roll H, and roll it toward and from roll I0, and that of air in the interstices between, 15

means are also provided for heating and cooling II in contact therewith until it enters the nip the rolls. between rolls Ill and l I. At this point the plastic A pressing roller II is mounted adjacent roll sheet 24' meets the web at a velocity greater II and pressure means, such as a pair of fluid than that at which the web is traveling. The

pressure cylinders, one of which 22, is shown, plastic forms an almost imperceptible bank at 5 i is provided for pressing it toward. the face of the nip of rolls Ill and H and is driven into the roll I I. interstices of the web. The excess of plastic, over Pinions l8 and I! are of such diameters that that necessary to flll the interstices is regulated the surface of roll It travels faster than that by the adjustment of roll I! to roll II so that of roll II, the arrangement being such that when there is just sui'flcient plastic to form the de- 10 a web of fabric or cord 23 is fed under pressired coat upon the web. As the roll ll revolves sure roll 2| and around roll ll between the nip faster than the roll II this coat is smoothed by of rolls III and II it will travel at the. speed of roll it in the direction of travel of the web. It roll II but a film of rubber composition 24, formed will be appar 1will the foregoing description between rolls Iii and I3 and approaching the that the interstices of the web are completely nip of rolls l0 and H upon the face of roll I filled and a coating of plastic is applied to both will travel at a faster speed. The rubber 24 sides of the web at a single pass of the cords or will therefore be wiped into the interstices of fabric through the calender, a Operations the web by a continuous upsetting of the film ins performed while the cords are held against 24 and the excess rubber will be smoothed by shifting by constant support of a single roll. 2 roll III in the direction oftravel of the web to I l 1" provide a smooth coating 25. While different 1. The method of coating and 111 the t r surface speed ratios may be employed, I prefer stices of a sheet compri ins t ti e cords which to cause roll it to travel substantially 25% faster comprises applying a layer of plastic material to than roll II as I find that with this ratio I am one face 01 the Sheet While the Sheet 18 Supported 25 able not only to fill the interstices of th w b, by a roll to hold the cords in-the desired relation, but also-to provide a smooth surfaced coat of the and Without removing the meet from its pp required thickness. wiping plastic into its interstices from the oppo- Ron l0 a d '13 ar 9,1 driv i at m t site face of the sheet and simultaneously formspeeds in the preferred form of the devic ,1- ing a coating over the face of the sheet.

though they may operate t t same speed, 2. The method of frictioning and coating a They operate to-reduce the bank of plastic com-. Sheet of m a comprising cords which composition 28 to form a sheet 24 on roll II. The prises Supporting and ad an infl the sheet of mabest speed ratio depends somewhat upon t terial upon the face of a roll, skim coating one plastic material used, but when the rolls are Side of the sheet while the sheet is pp rt d y run at differential speeds, blisters in'the matethe roll, and While the Sheet is so pp r ed sirial are avoided. In the preferred form of de multaneously i ionins and coating the exp vice roll I; is rotated at about, t thir of t face of the sheet with plastic material by feeding speed of 1-011 In. plastic materialto a. zone across the face of the 11 u and l: similarly r geared t -L roll at a rate in excess of that necessary to 9.11 the n ate at difierent surface Speeds are employed interstices'of thC sheet as it said'zone, and to reduce a bank ii of plastic composition to Smoothmg the excess the race of the sheetprovide a sheet 11 th r of which f ll mm in the direction of travel of the sheet at a velocity H and is united t the web a by the pressure greater than that at which the sheet is traveling. roll 2 I. Roll I2 preferably is driven at a surface The method friction and mating speed equal to two thirds f the speed of mu less cord which comprises forming and advancing When weftless cord is to be coated, suitable S of Plastic material 9 the face 0! guiding means is provided t present the cords roll, feedingamultiplicity of cords into. contact in properly spaced relation to roll 2!. As such with the sheet in Parme1rmum advmcm the mechanism forms no part of the invention it is sheet of P t ind cords P u t h n in t g, across the face of the roll and simultaneously In practicing the invention, the rubber comfilling the interstices between the 10rd! 5114 position forming the bank 25 is sheeted by rolls s c of Plastic the cords by feeding I i, re and the sheet :1 follows roll 1:. The web plastic material to said zone at a rate in excess of u of weftless cord or of fabric is introduced bethat necessary to fill the interstices between the a tween pressing roll 2! and roll H where it is cords as the cords pass through said zone, and pressed against one side of the web without apsmoothing the excess plastic over the face of preciably filling the interstices thereof. when the compound sheet in the direction of travel weftless cord is used, the coat 21 serves to retain of the sheet at a velocity greater than that at the cords in proper spaced relation. The web, which the sheet is traveling.

coated on one side, then proceeds around the roll JAMES V. JAMES. 

